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Dream Team’s most in-form defender deserves popularity spike after latest double-digit haul

DANIEL MUNOZ (£4.9m) is the Dream Team defender who refuses to drop down the rankings.

We tipped the Crystal Palace wing-back in last week’s transfer recommendations article and he delivered in spades with a 15-point haul against Doncaster on Monday night.

Portrait of a soccer player in a yellow jersey, part of the Sun Dream Team.
Dream Team
Relentless[/caption]

The Colombia international scored the opening goal and contributed to a clean sheet in the Eagles’ 2-0 win over their League Two opponents in the FA Cup fourth round.

At the time of writing, Munoz is the top-scoring asset in his position for Gameweek 23.

More broadly, he’s the most in-form defender in the game having plundered 35 points from his last three outings.

But even that doesn’t tell the full story of his fruitful form of late.

Munoz has been on a tear since Boxing Day, banking a mighty 88 points across the last eight Gameweeks!

Crystal Palace's Daniel Munoz celebrating a goal.
Reuters
Munoz does it all[/caption]

This surge has propelled the 28-year-old up to third in the defensive rankings.

TOP DREAM TEAM DREAM DEFENDERS THIS SEASON:

  • 223 pts – Trent Alexander-Arnold (£6m)
  • 195 pts – Pedro Porro (£4.5m)
  • 189 pts – Daniel Munoz (£4.9m)
  • 187 pts – Virgil van Dijk (£5m)
  • 173 pts – Gabriel (£4.8m)

The fact Munoz is rubbing shoulders with the absolute cream of the crop without European fixtures to bolster his schedule is highly impressive.

One of the reasons he’s been able to amass such a high total is Oliver Glasner’s reluctance to rest him in the domestic cups.

Munoz has earned 42 points from six appearances split between the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in 2024/25.

And it’s this boon that makes him a particularly tempting option for the foreseeable future.

Palace have four fixtures to fulfil across the next three Gameweeks and Munoz should start them all so long as he remains fit: Everton, Fulham, Aston Villa, Millwall.

Oliver Glasner, manager of Crystal Palace, at a Premier League match.
GETTY
Munoz is the first name on Oliver Glasner’s team sheet[/caption]

The ex-Genk defender is such a strong Dream Team asset because he has multiple routes to points.

Glasner’s side have tightened up in recent weeks with five clean sheets in their last six games in all competitions – half their tally for the season.

Munoz is also one of just two players to have made 100+ tackles in 2024/25, with Noussair Mazraoui (£2.9m) being the other.

In fact, he’s earned a whopping 45 points from tackles alone this season.

Factor in three goals plus five assists and it’s recipe for sustained success.

Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool in his team jersey.
Getty
Only Alexander-Arnold averages more points-per-game than Munoz among defenders[/caption]

Amazingly, only Alexander-Arnold (7.2) averages more points-per-game than Munoz (6.8m) among defenders this season.

Palace’s No12 features in 3.3% of teams right now but he deserves a steep popularity spike this month.


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Baftas host David Tennant ‘not picking fights’ after annoying Hollywood legend

EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024 - Show
David Tennant is re-thinking certain jokes ahead of this Sunday’s Baftas (Picture: Getty)

David Tennant is polishing up his script ahead of this Sunday’s Baftas after one of his jokes ‘p****d off’ Cate Blanchett.

The Doctor Who sensation, 53, is returning to host the annual award ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall.

However, David has taken notes on what not to say after noticing he made a certain Hollywood icon uncomfortable.

Speaking to Radio Times, the Inside Man actor explained: ‘The Baftas are supposed to be kind. Last year we weren’t trying to roast people, but there was a joke about Cate Blanchett, and she looked a little bit annoyed, a little bit p***ed off.

‘And I remember going, “Oh God, no. I think you’re brilliant. I was just trying to be witty and make a point about how you’ve got lots of prizes, and we love you.”’

Despite the joke not sitting well with the Tar actress, 55, on the night the audience seemed to see the funny side.

82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards - Arrivals
Cate Blanchett was pretty p****d off according to David (Picture: FilmMagic)

David said: ‘I’ve only learned from hosting tonight, there are only two people in the world who know who’ve won. I always thought like the seat planner would know and they’d put winners at the front or the end of the aisle. 

‘No, they’ve got hidden cameras and they can pick you up anywhere, so if you’ve got to scramble and climb over Cate Blanchett to get your hands on an award, that is what you do.’

He added: ‘It’s a metaphor for the acting industry generally.’

David previously opened up to Metro about how he feels about hosting the prestigious ceremony for the second year running, and why’s not afraid of doing a bad job.

‘I definitely have the advantage of this not being my day job,’ he said ahead of the announcement.

‘It’s a lovely thing to be asked to do. It’s a huge privilege and it’s very giddy-making.

‘But I’ve sort of got a bit of a free pass because nobody expects me to be any good at it.’

Let’s face it, he will smash it.

‘I hope it will just be as fun as it was before,’ David said. ‘I mean, I quite enjoyed myself. It was a slightly mad thing to be asked to do and not something I ever aspired to or imagined would come my way.’

Full list of Bafta 2025 nominations

Best film

  • Anora
  • The Brutalist
  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave
  • Emilia Pérez

Best director

  • Anora, Sean Baker
  • The Brutalist, Brady Corbet
  • Conclave, Edward Berger
  • Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve
  • Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard
  • The Substance, Coralie Fargeat

Leading actress

  • Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
  • Demi Moore, The Substance
  • Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
  • Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
  • Mikey Madison, Anora
  • Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun

Leading Actor

  • Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
  • Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
  • Hugh Grant, Heretic
  • Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
  • Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
  • Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Supporting actor

  • Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
  • Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
  • Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
  • Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
  • Hugh Grant, Heretic
  • Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Supporting actress

  • Ariana Grande, Wicked
  • Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
  • Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
  • Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl
  • Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez

Outstanding British film

  • Bird
  • Blitz
  • Conclave
  • Gladiator II
  • Hard Truths
  • Kneecap
  • Lee
  • Love Lies Bleeding
  • The Outrun
  • Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

  • Hoard
  • Kneecap
  • Monkey Man
  • Santosh
  • Sister Midnight

Film not in the English language

  • The Seed of the Sacred
  • All We Imagine As Light
  • Emilia Pérez
  • I’m Still Here
  • Kneecap

Documentary

  • Black Box Diaries
  • Daughters
  • No Other Land
  • Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
  • Will & Harper

Animated film

  • Flow
  • Inside Out 2
  • Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
  • The Wild Robot

Children’s and family film

  • Flow
  • Kensuke’s Kingdom
  • Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
  • The Wild Robot

Original screenplay

  • Anora
  • The Brutalist
  • Kneecap
  • A Real Pain
  • The Substance

Adapted screenplay

  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Nickel Boys
  • Sing Sing

EE Bafta rising star award (voted for by the public)

  • Marisa Abela
  • Jharrel Jerome
  • David Jonsson
  • Mikey Madison
  • Nabhaan Rizwan

Original score

  • The Brutalist – Daniel Blumberg
  • Conclave – Volker Bertelmann
  • Emilia Pérez – Camille, Clément Ducol
  • Nosferatu – Robin Carolan
  • The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers

Casting

  • Anora
  • The Apprentice
  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave
  • Kneecap

Cinematography

  • The Brutalist
  • Conclave
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Nosferatu

Costume design

  • Blitz
  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave
  • Nosferatu
  • Wicked

Editing

  • Anora
  • Conclave
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Kneecap

Production design

  • The Brutalist
  • Conclave
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Nosferatu
  • Wicked

Make-up and hair

  • Dune: Part Two
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Nosferatu
  • The Substance
  • Wicked

Sound

  • Blitz
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Gladiator II
  • The Substance
  • Wicked

Special visual effects

  • Better Man
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Gladiator II
  • Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
  • Wicked

British short film

  • The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
  • Marion
  • Milk
  • Rock, Paper, Scissors
  • Stomach Bug

British short animation

Mog’s Christmas

Wander to Wonder

Adiós

EE BAFTA Film Awards premiers Sunday February 16 at 7pm on BBC One.

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